Oliver Glasner Seeks to Motivate Jaded Crystal Palace as Payback Against Arsenal Awaits.

You could excuse Oliver Glasner for preferring to enjoy a restful period with his loved ones in Austria before Christmas, rather than gearing up for Crystal Palace's 29th match of the season—a League Cup last-eight clash against Arsenal. However, the idea that Palace could focus on other competitions was firmly dismissed by their manager.

"No, I do not believe that," stated Glasner following his team's side's four-one defeat to Leeds. "If somebody informs me that we are defeated on purpose, the next day I'm no longer the manager any more."

There is a marked difference in Glasner's philosophy to cup competitions compared to his forerunner, Roy Hodgson. This first became clear during Palace's journey to the League Cup last eight in his debut full season in charge. Under Hodgson, the club had already been knocked out from both the Carabao Cup and the FA Cup by the time Glasner assumed control at Selhurst Park. Conversely, Glasner selected his first-choice team for wins over Norwich, QPR, and Aston Villa, setting up a showdown with Arsenal.

That previous last-eight match ended in a 3-2 defeat at the Emirates Stadium, thanks to a somewhat debated hat-trick from Gabriel Jesus, despite Palace having been ahead at half-time. Now, Glasner now faces the task to figure out a plan for revenge versus the current Premier League pace-setters in a fixture that was rescheduled to this week because of European obligations.

A Price of Achievement and Continental Fatigue

Glasner has, in a way, been a victim of his own success. Guiding Palace to their maiden major trophy with a win in the FA Cup final subsequently ushered in the demands of European football for the very first time. These pressures are taking a toll on some weary players, many of whom have hardly enjoyed a rest all season.

The manager fielded an entirely changed lineup, including four teenagers, in their last Conference League match. Yet, ahead of the Arsenal clash, he conceded he will have "no option" but to pick the majority of his preferred side, which appeared decidedly lethargic as they unusually let in four goals from set-pieces against Leeds. "Have to. Yes, have to," he said.

Arsenal's Perspective and Selection Dilemmas

For Mikel Arteta and Arsenal, the situation are different. The manager must balance his ambition to win a another major trophy with extreme pragmatism. Last year, a muscle injury to Bukayo Saka suffered in a league game against Palace only days after their Carabao Cup comeback greatly harmed their title aspirations.

Arteta had made several changes for that League Cup match but was forced to bring on his "key players" after the break. Saka came off the bench to set up Jesus for a decisive goal in a passage of play that left Glasner "furious" over a possible offside, with no VAR available—a situation that will be the case again on Tuesday.

Arsenal have an eight-match winning streak against Palace, featuring seven wins. Gabriel Jesus, who scored a hat-trick in last season's League Cup encounter and two in a later league win before sustaining a long-term knee injury, looks set to start for the first time since then injury. Arteta disclosed the forward wrote a "touching" letter to his teammates about what football means to him.

"We are accustomed to it," said Arteta on the congested schedule. "In my view this week was the sole full week we had to get ready. The period until February at least is will be similar. We have a beautiful opportunity to go into the last four of a tournament so we will be prepared."

Amid key players returning from injury and a determination to progress, Arsenal pose a formidable challenge for a Crystal Palace side desperately in need of a spark as the holiday period ramps up.